Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Don't show me this message again

Litanies à la Vierge Noire 'Notre Dame de Rocamadour'

Introduction

Poulenc’s father died in 1917 and with him the young composer’s interest in Roman Catholicism. It was the death of one of his friends that was to lead to a rekindling of his faith and which heralded an important new phase in his creativity—of which all the works on this recording are a product. In Poulenc’s own words:

I am religious by deepest instinct and by heredity. I feel myself incapable of ardent political conviction, but it seems quite natural to me to believe and practise religion. I am a Catholic. It is my greatest freedom. Nevertheless the gentle indifference of the maternal side of my family had, quite naturally, led to a long fit of forgetfulness of religion. From 1920 to 1935 I was admittedly very little concerned regarding the faith.

In 1936, a date of primal importance in my life and my career, taking advantage of a period of work with Yvonne Gouverné and Bernac at Uzerche, I asked the latter to drive me in his car to Rocamadour, of which I had often heard my father speak.

I had just learned, a day or two before, of the tragic death of my colleague Pierre-Octave Ferroud. The atrocious extinction of this musician so full of vigour had left me stupefied. Pondering on the fragility of our human frame, the life of the spirit attracted me anew.

Rocamadour led me back to the faith of my childhood. This sanctuary, certainly the most ancient in France, had everything to subjugate me. Clinging in full sunlight to a vertiginous craggy rock, Rocamadour is a place of extraordinary peace, accentuated by the very limited number of tourists.

With a courtyard in front, pink with oleanders in tubs, a very simple chapel, half hollowed into the rock, shelters a miraculous figure of the Virgin, carved, according to tradition, in black wood by Saint Amadour, the little Zacchaeus of the gospel who had to climb a tree to see the Christ.

The evening of the same visit to Rocamadour, I began my Litanies à la Vierge Noire, for women’s voices and organ. In this work I have tried to express the feeling of ‘peasant devotion’ which had so strongly impressed me in that lovely place. (from Francis Poulenc: Entretiens avec Claude Rostand, Julliard, Paris, 1954)

Recordings

Francis Poulenc is now considered to be among the most important composers of choral music of the 20th Century. This collection of Poulenc's choral works is centered on his masterwork, the Figure Humaine, a work which is a supreme test of stamina, ...» More

Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, hear us.
Jesus Christ, hear our prayer.
God the Father, creator, have mercy on us.
God the Son, redeemer, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, sanctifier, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, which is one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Virgin, queen and patron, pray for us.
Virgin, whom Zacchaeus the publican
made us know and love;
Virgin, to whom Zacchaeus or Saint Amadour
constructed this shrine, pray for us.
Queen of this shrine, which Saint Martial consecrated
and at which he celebrated his holy mysteries.
Queen, before whom Saint Louis knelt
to pray for the good fortune of France, pray for us.
Queen, to whom Roland consecrated his sword, pray for us.
Queen, whose banner won battles, pray for us.
Queen, whose hand delivered the captives, pray for us.
Our Lady, whose pilgrimage
is blessed with special favours.
Our Lady, whose impiety and hatred
have often sought to destroy.
Our Lady, whom the people visit as in former times,
pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
forgive us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
hear our prayer.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Our Lady, pray for us,
that we may be worthy of Jesus Christ.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, hear us.
Jesus Christ, hear our prayer.
God the Father, creator, have mercy on us.
God the Son, redeemer, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, sanctifier, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, which is one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Virgin, queen and patron, pray for us.
Virgin, whom Zacchaeus the publican
made us know and love;
Virgin, to whom Zacchaeus or Saint Amadour
constructed this shrine, pray for us.
Queen of this shrine, which Saint Martial consecrated
and at which he celebrated his holy mysteries.
Queen, before whom Saint Louis knelt
to pray for the good fortune of France, pray for us.
Queen, to whom Roland consecrated his sword, pray for us.
Queen, whose banner won battles, pray for us.
Queen, whose hand delivered the captives, pray for us.
Our Lady, whose pilgrimage
is blessed with special favours.
Our Lady, whose impiety and hatred
have often sought to destroy.
Our Lady, whom the people visit as in former times,
pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
forgive us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
hear our prayer.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Our Lady, pray for us,
that we may be worthy of Jesus Christ.